My Little Lemuria
by Six-string Samurai
Summary: After a mishap with a shard of the Nanban mirror, Ryouga finds himself on a strange continent getting funny looks from the locals. As he struggles to make his way back to Nerima, the little matter of an ancient quest continues to get in his way.
1. prologue

Ranma and Co. is Copyright Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. 1993 Ranma ½ is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc.Ranma ½ Fan Fiction by S³

Hibiki Ryouga wasn't in the best of moods, and for once it wasn't Ranma's fault, not completely anyway. Of course, if that cocky bastard hadn't been mocking him in front of Akane and Ukyou... No wait that had been almost a week ago. It was the duck this time, trying to horn in on Ryouga's revenge.

Well, that was another thing to be settled. He'd squash Mousse later. For now, there was a more pressing concern. The lost boy ceased his musing and focused on the expanse of rock he was falling toward. At the rate he was going, there wouldn't be time to do much to slow his descent, and the trusty weight of his umbrella was sorely absent. Now, that had been Saotome's fault. "Damn you, _this_ is your fault Ran…" the cry was cut off with a thunderous crack as Ryouga met the mountainside headfirst.

"My Little Lemuria"

A Ranma Nibunnoichi Fanfic

By Six-String Samurai

A Prologue

Sarsa nearly dropped the bundle of reeds she'd just gathered as a loud cry cut the air, followed by a meaty thump. Whatever it was was just over the rise on the far side of the river. She waited a few heartbeats, but didn't hear anything other than a few startled birds. At least that meant she wasn't imagining things again, all the more reason to go take a peek. She glanced over her shoulder at the pile of drying reeds she'd spent the morning collecting. Yes, it was high time for a break anyway.

Spreading her armload onto the pile, she whipped around and dove into the water and rode the current to the opposite bank. Clambering out, the lanky girl scrambled through the underbrush in the direction of the disturbance, a lopsided grin already pulling at the corner of her mouth. And to think, she'd been complaining to herself all morning.

When she crested the ridge, she didn't have to look very hard to find the source of the problem. Just beyond the shattered remains of a huge oak, there was a gaping hole in the face of the mountain a good dozen meters above the height of her head. Her eyes widened as she swiveled her head from the tree to the hole and back. What could've caused such destruction? Sarsa was scarcely aware that her feet had already begun to carry her forward.

She didn't have to get much closer to tell that something was indeed within the fissure. From her vantage point the hole itself didn't appear all that deep, and was a little smaller than she'd first gauged. In fact, it was just big enough that she could probably fit into it with little difficulty. Of course, she'd have to do a little climbing to reach it first. Cracking her knuckles, she began the short ascent.

Cautiously lifting herself, Sarsa poked her head over the lip and found herself nose to, what appeared to be the bottom of a foot. Yes, there was no doubt about it, for awkwardly nestled in the rock was a person. At least, it looked like a person, with arms and legs, and a thick head of dark hair. If the chest was any indication, she was looking at a man, probably.

Something was definitely bothering her though. He was covered in a thick layer of dust and debris, so she couldn't be sure of what put her off exactly. But, he was still alive, and that was the first important thing. The second was the question of what to do. Was she supposed to try and get him down? Should she even attempt to move him? While she deliberated, she pulled herself up to sit on the edge of the hole as her fingers were beginning to ache from supporting most of her weight.

Dangling her legs over the side, she kicked her feet back and forth, wondering the best course of action. Now that she'd settled down, she could hear the faint but steady rasp of breath coming from the unconscious form. Her eyes were again drawn to the felled tree. What exactly had happened here? Behind her, the breath suddenly stopped causing her to whip her head around.

He was awake and staring right back at her through groggy eyes, eyes that seemed to clear too quickly for comfort.

"K-ka," he said in a deep whisper. Definitely a male's voice.

"Ka Ka?" Sarsa questioned.

"Kappa?" Ryouga wondered aloud.

"Huh?"

"Are you a Kappa," he asked more understandably, which in turn seemed to reassure Sarsa on one point. She was afraid he'd been speaking another language at first.

"What's a Kappa?"

Ryouga struggled to sit up. The girl couldn't be a Kappa if she didn't know what one was, right? Besides, his head felt terrible, dredging up memories of the Bakusai Tenketsu training. Just how far had he fallen anyway? Maybe he was just imagining things, once he got himself out of the rocks and back into the sunlight, he'd find that the strange girl sitting across from him looked perfectly normal. And then he'd ask her for directions and be on his way. There was still a score to settle after all. Ranma and Mousse would pay for making him doubt his sanity!


	2. part 1

Ranma and Co. is Copyright Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. 1993 Ranma ½ is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc.Ranma ½ Fan Fiction by S³ "My Little Lemuria"

Part One

The wandering martial artist did indeed get a better look at the girl who'd helped pull him out of the rock. She didn't appear to be a Kappa after all. She didn't have a shell, but she _did_ have a tail. And her skin was covered in tiny mottled bluish-green scales. But, she clearly wasn't a Kappa like he first thought. Not having to worry about his soul being sucked out his ass was a surprisingly big relief. She would probably just want to suck the marrow from his bones instead. He'd caught a glimpse of her teeth a couple of times when she'd given him a hand – they weren't made for pulping leaves.

It didn't help that she was giving him more than a little sizing up. She probably didn't know the way to Tokyo either. It never occurred to Ryouga that he might appear just as odd to the other party.

Sarsa was startled and a little confused. The stranger she'd helped down was deformed. At first she wondered how he lost his tail, but thought it rude to point out a deformity. However, once he started cleaning himself up, she was in for a bigger shock. He must have some kind of skin disease. Only his hands and face were uncovered, but there was no mistaking the leathery texture. It was as if he'd molted, but never rescaled. She wondered if it must hurt constantly to be left so soft and unprotected.

Oh! He'd caught her staring. Slightly embarrassed, Sarsa sought out something to quell her nervous curiosity. How long had it taken him to learn how to walk again once he'd lost his tail? A tense cough brought her back to reality, and she felt her face start to heat up as she realized just where her eyes had roamed. He was looking right at her, expectantly, almost as if he'd asked a, question. _Great.__ I don't know what you said because I was staring at your tail stump, or I might have been checking you out, so…_

"I'm sorry, I was distracted--um?" She paused, not knowing how to refer to him. After a second of deliberation, giving out her own name seemed to be the easiest way to find out. Or was she supposed to ask his first?

"You wouldn't happen to know which way it is to Tokyo?" the lost boy interjected, trying to get rid of the sudden awkwardness he felt building up.

The lizard girl shook her head at the unfamiliar name. "Tokyo? Is that your village?"

The dusty wanderer frowned. Just how far away was he this time? The monster girl was speaking Japanese, so he must still be on one of the islands. Who hadn't at least heard of Tokyo? Then again, the tan cloth and strips of leather she was dressed in weren't exactly the height of fashion, or any rural design that he'd come across before. Of course, there were plenty of cultures that could hardly be considered modern. Both the Joketsuzoku, and the Musk, weren't exactly playing catch up these days. Which got him thinking, maybe she wasn't a monster after all. She could be like the Musk, or even suffering under a spell, or a curse. It wasn't far fetched at all, not when you got right down to it.

"Yeah, it's more of a city, than a village."

"Like Param? That's the biggest place I know of." The tall girl shrugged absently, still trying to decide what to make of the stranger. It occurred to her then, surely one of the elders at the village would know about Tokyo. If it was half as big as Param, someone would have heard of it. "I know the person to ask! You have to come with me back to the village though, or they might think I'm making it up." The last was said almost as a matter of fact.

"V-village?" Ryouga shuddered at the mental image of a whole place crawling with lizard people. What if they were like the amazons? A whole village of skimpily dressed lizard girls--

"Are you really sure you're not hurt?"

Ryouga blinked. Other than a bit of a back ache, he was already well on the way to full recovery. "Of course! It'd take more than a mountain to faze me." Ryouga gave the girl a toothy grin.

"But, your nose is bleeding."

He blanched, picking himself up off the ground. "Heh, I must've breathed in too much dust." He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm sure that's it."

* * *

Referring to the girl's home as a village was something of a misnomer. Then again, Ryouga wasn't quite sure if there was even a word for a so small a village. It didn't help that there didn't look to be any real order to the place, just five small huts loosely arranged in what might have been a circular formation. Well, he assumed that the large lumps of thatch and mud were supposed to be huts. As he approached he could see that two of the huts had what were more than likely doorways cut to face each other. "Ah, this is your village?"

The scaled girl gave her guest a sidelong glance. What did he mean by that? "Mmhm," she nodded and pointed toward the largest of the buildings. "That's where the elder lives. C'mon, he should be up by now. Probably." she spoke the last part under her breath without much conviction. "If not, I'll just wake him." She looked up at the position of the sun with a critical eye and muttered something that Ryouga couldn't quite catch. From the look on her face, it wasn't very complimentary.

Letting his guide lead the way, the martial artist couldn't help but notice the absence of any other lizard people outside. He thought to make mention of this, but the girl didn't seem to think anything was out of the ordinary. As they walked through the center of the village, they passed a wide but shallow pit flanked by two short metal poles, and filled with what looked like ash. A communal fire pit, the lost boy guessed. He struggled to recall if he knew what lizards ate, but drew a blank.

Come to think of it, other than the bundle of sticks that the lizard girl had picked up on the way, Ryouga hadn't seen anything resembling a garden, or an area to raise livestock. As they neared the elder's larger mud abode, he found it looked quite solid, and definitely a permanent structure. The village had been here quite some time, and probably wouldn't be going anywhere in the foreseeable future.

Pausing as she ducked through the doorway, Sarsa turned to regard her guest for a moment. "Hmm, I'd better make sure he's awake first. Just in case."

Ryouga nodded, already a little uncomfortable with the whole situation, not that he was going to make a big production over it. Or let anyone know otherwise.

The lost boy didn't have long to wait, as a familiar mop of green hair poked out of the doorway a few minutes later. "You can come in now," she said before disappearing back through the dark entryway. Steeling himself, the black haired boy stepped into the hut and gave his eyes a moment to adjust to the dim windowless interior.

The inside was just a bit larger than he expected, due to the floor being a quarter meter or so below ground level. It was also pleasantly cool, in contrast to the warmer outside air. Like the rest of the village outside, the hut was nearly devoid of decoration or even furniture for that matter. The hard packed floor was mostly barren, with the only discernable decorations being what looked to be a carved wooden chest of drawers, and a pile of beaded blankets in the corner that the lizard girl was standing by. But, where was the elde-?

On second glance, what had appeared to be a small pile of blankets was in fact said elder, bundled in layers of cloth. Ryouga blanched, the old lizard was even more wrinkled than Cologne.

As he approached the elder, Ryouga revised his estimation; this guy was not just merely old, he was about to crumble into dust ancient. He had the slack look of a simpleton, or a stroke victim. But not his eyes though. He caught Ryouga's gaze and held it with a strange bright look. Was it excitement, anticipation? Ryouga had no clue, however he had the distinct impression that the elder's slack face was smiling heartily on the inside.


	3. part 2

Ranma and Co. is Copyright Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. 1993 Ranma ½ is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc.Ranma ½ Fan Fiction by S³ "My Little Lemuria"

Part Two

"Tell me child, who is this that you've brought before me?" The wizened elder's voice carried through the cool air of the hut, surprisingly hearty for one who looked about as firm as balsa wood.

Ryouga wondered if the old lizard would crumble from the act of speaking alone.

For her part, Sarsa opened her mouth to answer, when it occurred to her that she'd completely forgotten to ask the stranger for his name. She couldn't just ask now, it would be mortifying, not to mention the trouble it would bring her later. The green haired girl was not going to have more chores heaped on her because of such a small oversight. She almost frowned, but held herself in check just as she realized the boy looked as if he was going to beat her to it.

It took a moment, but the martial artist realized that his erstwhile guide was at a loss for words. Scrambling internally, he struggled to recall if he'd ever introduced himself, and found that it just hadn't come up during the short walk. Come to think of it, he didn't know her name either. He forced himself to the matter at hand. This wasn't the time to get hung up on the small things. He'd berate himself later. There was always time for that.

Now, how was he supposed to address the old guy? Best play it as if he were dealing with Cologne. "Elder, I apologize for not introducing myself as soon as I entered. My name is Hibiki Ryouga." The lost boy paused, wondering if he should just state his reason for intruding, but the lizard girl apparently took his silence as her cue to cut back in.

"Yes, Hibiki Ryouga here is returning to his village, and I found him wandering the foothills. He is looking for a place called," she left off, and gave the lost boy an inquiring glance.

"Tokyo," he replied.

"I thought you would know, Elder. Or maybe someone in Param might," she tacked on, sounding painfully hopeful even to Ryouga.

"Oh ho, well child, I'll need to consult my maps, but it must be a very small village. I don't recall ever hearing of it before."

The lost boy frowned; it wasn't looking good for him if these people thought Tokyo was a little mud puddle like this. "Tokyo's pretty big. It's the capital city of Japan. I guess it's almost like a bunch of towns and villages put together. My home town is just a part of Tokyo."

"Child, how long has our guest been out and about? The poor boy must be suffering from sun fever," the Elder spoke aside to Sarsa. He inclined his head toward the boy in question, deciding to humor the sickly youth. "Param is the only city this side of the Rift. It's is quite impossible to cross to or from the other side. As to a capital, even I cannot recall the last time there stood such a city."

Ryouga heard the comment and sweat dropped. Just where was this place? He'd travelled well, and often enough to know that with very few exceptions, most people knew of or had at least heard of Japan, if not Tokyo itself. He chose to ignore the fact that his hosts weren't exactly human, probably due to their mutual understanding of his native tongue, which in turn got him thinking. Just how far had those idiots booted him? It was also a damn bit of luck that wherever he'd landed, the gods had seen fit to render the usual language barrier a moot point. That alone was enough to wear at his nerves. He was going to see hell before this was over, he was certain of it in his bones.

"The rift?"

Ryouga must have put a little more emphasis in his question that he thought because the next thing he knew, the lizard girl was gaping at him, and the elder was staring off just to Ryouga's left. At least he assumed so since it was hard to really tell with the lack of ambient lighting. He fought the urge to turn his head and look over his shoulder. Strangely, something about that far off stare reminded him of Nerima. What was it that reminded him of—Mousse? Then he had it, the old man was either blind or horribly near-sighted. The Elder wasn't squinting though, just staring out into the dim hut; blind then.

Sarsa's voice cut into the boy's wandering thoughts, "—the giant yawning abyss. You can't miss it, it's—well, it's huge," she threw open her arms for emphasis. The lizard girl was incredulous! This side of the Rift, you couldn't go far without running into an off shoot chasm. Even if one was clueless and hadn't ever left their village, someone had to eventually pass through and mention it, offhand or otherwise. The Rift wasn't exactly an overlookable landmark. She bet it was probably visible from the peak of God Rest, if it wasn't foggy. She was about to mention that little tidbit but then she considered another angle. It was almost too crazy to bother with, but—

"Is Tokyo across the water?" There she'd said it.

The shaggy haired youth debated how to answer the sudden question. Was Tokyo in fact across the water? He really had no way of knowing, and didn't exactly relish the thought of telling these strangers about his little directional problem. He didn't recall any particular details of his ill-timed departure from Nerima. He'd woken up in the middle of the air, and found himself falling who knows how far down. He'd been more concerned with survival than taking the lay of the land at the time, not that it would've helped in the long run. So for now, he tried his best to go with the flow of things. Forge straight ahead, a tried and true maxim of the Hibiki line. It was true; he tried it ninety-nine percent of the time.

"Um, Yes?" Great, now he sounded like he wasn't sure. Another girl was going to think he was an idiot. "I mean, yeah it is. Japan is across the water." Good recovery there, that's the ticket. Ryouga grinned internally. He could pull this off and no one would think he was crazy anymore. Now all he had to do was get directions to this Parmesan city or whatever, and he would be on his way.

The green haired girl wanted to believe the boy. But she wondered if the Elder was right about his condition. She'd heard stories of others that had worked too long out in the heat and had either died or gotten very ill. There were also tales of travelers coming from the desert claiming to have seen the spirits of the dead, wandering the dunes for all time. These days no one had reason to make such a dangerous trek, and it wasn't hard to discount the tales from lack of first hand knowledge. Of course, if it were true, and the boy had come from across the water—

However there was also the matter of how she'd found him. Had he really fallen from the sky as he claimed? If he were from a far off land, that would go a long way toward explaining his appearance. On the way back to the village, she'd taken her time and given the boy a good once over, discreetly of course. Her first impression that he'd been deformed was reevaluated. While he had a few scars here and there, neither his face nor his neck bore the kind of damage she expected a fresh molt to have acquired in the time it took to weather as much as the boy appeared to have.

"Elder, if someone could tell me the way to Puma, I can be on my way. I have important business to settle back home. I'd be most grateful."

"Child, bring our guest some water. I need a little time to consider this matter. The journey to Param is not a simple day's travel. If the boy is sick and I sent him on his way I'd be neglecting my duties." The figure huddled in the blankets shifted around restlessly, apparently searching for something with frail stick-like arms. "Hmm, not here are they?" The Elder called out to the departing girl, "Child, when you return, fetch my stones. That child took them again I fear."

Sarsa rolled her eyes; the only one who was interested in those old stones was that little runt, Janmi. Like everyone else, Janmi wasn't back in the village yet, and it would be easy enough to find the stupid rocks in Janmi's 'secret hiding place'. "Yes, right away, Elder."

Soon the two were left to themselves in the coolness of the earthen home.

"So, Hibiki Ryouga was it? You don't smell of the desert to me, or the great waters. Come here, that I may get a better look at you." The Elder paused. "We don't turn away folk in need, in this village, but we also have little to offer, as you may have noticed," he chuckled softly. The elder motioned for Ryouga to sit in front of him.

A moment later the martial artist found a pair of feather light rough hands brushing his face. The deft touch of the Elder paused only for a moment as a look of surprise passed across the scaly face. It was soon replaced with an expression that Ryouga had trouble identifying, and then that tiny ever-present smile returned as the hands fell away.

"I'm beginning to understand why that child brought you here, young Hibiki Ryouga. I can only imagine what that child was thinking when the two of you crossed paths."

Ryouga sat back, relieved that his face had been relinquished. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ha ha, no need to play games with me. I was young too once, hard as it may be to believe."

The lost boy wasn't sure what was going on, but it looked to him like the Elder just gave a little wink. "Ah, I really need to get going, Elder."

"Hah, don't worry; she'll be back quicker than you think."

"Um, no, I meant," Ryouga stammered. He was getting a bad feeling again, like he was being sized up for a meal. He felt a shiver work its way up his back. Come to think of it, he still didn't know what these lizard people ate.


	4. part 3

Ranma and Co. is Copyright Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. 1993 Ranma ½ is a trademark of Viz Communications, ½ Fan Fiction by S³ "My Little Lemuria"

Part Three

True to the words of the Elder, Sarsa returned within a few minutes laden with a clay pitcher and a small stack of shallow bowls. Sitting cross-legged next to the Elder's blankets, she set the three bowls down and poured a generous amount into two of them, and a smaller portion for herself. She handed the first bowl to the Elder, and then passed the second to Hibiki Ryouga. Once the old lizard had taken a sip, she followed suit, relieved to see the strange boy had waited as well. A soft cough to her right reminded her of the pouch at her waist. Ah right, the stones.

Mildly alarmed, the lost boy attempted to ensure that no water spilled as he accepted the drink. Having his porcine form revealed was the last thing he wanted right now, blind old man or no. He had little desire to deal with obvious carnivores while stuck in his diminished form. Keeping one eye on the elder, and one on the lizard girl, Ryouga did his best to follow suit, setting the bowl down between his crossed legs as the girl had done. The whole thing had a feeling of ritual behind it, perhaps akin to the tea ceremony, with which he was passing familiar, thanks to his mother's traditional coaching when he was young.

Placing the leather pouch into the Elder's waiting palm, Sarsa sat back, an eager smile drawing her lips in spite of herself. This was a rare occasion indeed, and to have the chance to witness a fortune was even more seldom. In fact, this was only the third such occasion, regardless of her little sister's fascination with the stones.

It was also one of the few times that anyone really came to truly respect the village Elder. It didn't help that he spent more than half of his days napping. But, this was different, and exciting. She could barely contain herself; real magic, so close she could almost reach out and touch it.

While the two looked on, the Elder opened the pouch, pouring out a pile of five small pebbles into his waiting palm. Setting the empty pouch in his lap, he reached out to gather the empty bowls they'd just drank from. With a deftness that belied his advanced age, the old lizard shuffled the stones from bowl to bowl, until all five had been moved about, bringing them to rest in the middle wooden bowl. "Tell me child, what is it you see," he seemed to be directing his question to Sarsa.

For his part, the lost boy looked on with some interest. He noticed that the lizard girl was completely enthralled, so this must be pretty important, and he did his best to give it due attention. After all, there might be something to these stones, even if they looked like nothing more than a bunch of river pebbles to him. Who was he to question, when his very body proved supposedly impossible things.

Ryouga watched as the lizard girl's eyes narrowed in obvious concentration as she gazed at the stones laying in a seemingly random pattern in the bottom of the bowl cupped in the Elder's hands. For a moment, it seemed as if her eyes went wide then blank, not unlike the faraway gaze of the elder lizard. The lost boy leaned in as her lips began to move, words all too faint on her tongue, impossible to hear. Or maybe just him, he thought, as he noticed the Elder, nodding from the corner of his eye.

"Ah, yes. I guessed about as much, child." The wrinkled lizard turned his head in the general direction of the lost boy. "Your village, it is very far away, faint even to the sight of the stones. Something, greater than even the Rift, bars your path, young one. There is great magic at work upon you, that much is plain. Old magic, strong, and twisting about, entangling."

Ryouga's thoughts were immediately of Jusenkyo, those cursed pools. Damn you to hell, Saotome Ranma, he spat mentally. It was a failsafe, a mantra he'd lived long by. His mind was bent that way, but there was something else even still, the image of a haughty blind fool, that love struck idiot, Mousse. More Chinese magic, it was very possible this was his fault, too. "Magic, Elder?" He repeated back, at a loss for the welling anger, there was simply no targets available, not close at hand, yet.

The lengthy pause on their guest's part, wasn't wholly lost on the venerable lizard, and he too felt some of the lost zeal returning, not unlike the headstrong youngling before him, caught up in the swirl of the stones. Always looking for excitement, that one, and yet so much potential. If only she took more interest in the old ways, but there was time yet, for her to find her way down that particular path. The gift was there, though she had yet to see it in herself. "Yes, the stones speak in twists and turns, of troubled times," he paused, listening to the whispers, like the song of the wind, flowing from young Sarsa. "A storm of rain, and endless cloudy skies. These things await you, and yet," the elder tilted his head in the way a child might wonder at some new curiosity, "yet, the winds push ever on, while a small shadow clings to your steps. The path set before you back into the sunlight is a long one, indeed," the elder shook his head, "More than that much…the voice of the stones cannot carry."

Ryouga nodded, not quite sure what to make of the vague words that the Elder had imparted. The way back to Tokyo was going to be a long road, if all the directions he had to go on were rain, a shadow and some sunlight. It might as well have been in another language, as far as he was concerned. "Okay, what does that mean, exactly?"

In response, the Elder let out a dry but hearty chuckle, "I was hoping it held more meaning to you, child. We merely carry the words of the stones to the ears they are meant for. The message is for you, and you alone to understand," while he couldn't see the expression on his guest's face, he had been around for more than long enough to know exactly what it looked like at the moment. Uncertainty, confusion, they were but two of the emotions roiling beneath the surface. This was a foretelling, and it bore with it some measure of doubt, and always would, until it came to pass, in one way or another. It was seldom understood until after the event had occurred.

The elder's words were just as cryptic as the words of the stones, or whatever. Either way, none of it got him closer to returning to Nerima, and the thought of rain, not to mention a whole storm, didn't exactly sit high on his list of exciting prospects right now, if ever. That his umbrella was missing, only served as a stomach-turning reminder of hardships to come. But, while horribly inconvenient, it would only slow him down. He'd get back, it might just take a few days longer than usual. Maybe a month if he was really lucky this time. "I don't suppose one of you could point me in the direction of that P-city?"

At that moment, Sarsa blinked out of the daze she'd been in. Rubbing absently at one eye, she looked from the bowl, to the elder, and the strange boy. It was odd, she could've sworn the stones had been much larger moments ago. Had she fallen asleep somehow? Somehow it didn't feel like it. Before she could ask if anything had happened, the Elder's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Hibiki Ryouga, this one will guide you on the start of your path," the elder waved a wizened hand in the general direction of the lizard girl. "The way to Param is still clear this time of the season, and the sands are more forgiving now that the river has quieted. Had you passed this way last moon, the journey would be twice as difficult, and much longer."

"I see," Ryouga nodded to himself, if there was one thing to be grateful for, it was small favors. Life had never seen fit to do much more than that. Besides, wasn't it said that fortune favored the bold? Rough travels or not, it made little difference to him. He would get there eventually, he always did. It was just a matter of when, not if.

Next to the lost boy, the lizard girl was having a much harder time of accepting what she'd just heard. Sure, she knew where Param was, roughly. It was near the narrowest gap in the great Rift. Which was on the other side of the dunes, far from shade of Gods Rest. Yes, she knew where the city was, though she'd never traveled that far, let alone entered the city itself.

While it was true that the harvest had passed, the others still weren't back yet. They weren't due back until the morning at the least. There were more than enough helping hands once everyone was here, but to leave the Elder? It was almost unthinkable, and yet there was also the prospect of actually seeing the great city with her own eyes. If the Elder was telling her to go, who was she to question his wisdom in this matter? Still.

Almost as if he knew her thoughts, the Elder spoke before Sarsa had the chance to reply one way or the other. "The rest of the village arrives in the morning. There's been no sign to tell me otherwise. Do not worry over me, child. I've been living here since before the time of your father's father. One day to call my own is but a blessing at my age."

Despite being bundled up tighter than a newborn, there was a self-assurance in his raspy voice that spoke of years several times that of Sarsa's own experiences. That stilled most of the worry she might have had, and the fact that he would more than likely be napping the entire time until her sister and the rest of the village returned. She wasn't even sure if she'd ever seen him leave his hut, other than for the start of the new harvest each season. The young girl looked over at the boy she'd found half-buried in the side of Gods Rest, and back to the Elder.

"I can do it," she said at length, perhaps more to herself than to the others. "Father spoke of the way often enough."

"You're more than equal to the task, child. Of that I have little doubt. My nose tells me it is early yet, and it is best to get started before the day grows much shorter. And child," the pile of blankets seemed to draw tighter.

"Yes, Elder?" Sansa made to sit up, but the Elder's pause held her.

"Hibiki Ryouga, as you can see, is not of our tribe. Nor of the lands around Gods Rest."

"Elder?"

"Perhaps there are more of his kin in Param, perhaps not. If so, they may know the rest of his path. Once you've reached the city, it would be best if you didn't dally, and begin your return."

"Yes, Elder," Sarsa nodded, retrieving the bowls and placing the stones in a pile near the Elder's feet. "I'll be back before I'm missed."

"Be safe child, and you Hibiki Ryouga. May you find your Tokyo, and may Gods Rest shade you both on your journey."

Ryouga nodded, bowing out of habit before remembering the old lizard was blind. "Thank you for your help, Elder." He straightened up, rising to his feet beside the girl.

"May Gods Rest shade you as well, Elder," Sarsa spoke, gathering the things she'd brought, "Hibiki Ryouga, we should leave once I've put these away." A sparkle of anticipation was all too clear in her eyes, even to Ryouga.

"I'm following you, so just lead the way," the lost boy said, giving the Elder one final glance before they left the hut. It looked like the Elder had retreated almost completely into the mound of cloth. Ryouga shook his head, wondering just what kind of mess he'd fallen into this time.


End file.
